Dish Network

Dish Network

Dish Network Corporation, commonly known as DISH, is an American satellite broadcaster, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to commercial and residential customers in the United States. As of September 2012, DISH provided services to 14.042 million subscribers. Dish Network has approximately 34,000 employees, more than 25,000 of whom are located within the United States. According to information submitted by DISH to the U.S. SEC, the corporate headquarters of DISH are located in Meridian, Colorado, specifically at 9601 South Meridian Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112.

EchoStar Satellite L.L.C. was founded by Charlie Ergen, his wife Candy and their friend Jim DeFranco as a satellite television equipment distributor in 1980. EchoStar was officially re-branded as Dish Network in March 1996. This branding came after the successful launch of its first satellite, EchoStar I in December 1995 and marked the beginning of the company offering subscription television services. The company has since launched numerous satellites, with 14 owned and leased satellites currently in its fleet.

As of January 2008, Dish Network split from EchoStar, with each entity becoming a separate company. EchoStar is the key technology partner to Dish Network, which focuses only on marketing and providing satellite television service. Since June 20, 2011, Joseph Clayton has had day-to-day control of the company.

Dish's owner Charlie Ergen has made diversifying and updating the company's technology a high priority. He told the Milken Institute Global Conference in May 2012 that over the next ten years, he plans on transforming the company into a single company that will provide internet, video and phone service for both home and mobile applications. Ergen feels that no other company has successfully accomplished this.